On April 26, while Mike was away with the Fire Department to help others, his own home was in the path of an approaching wildfire. The Flag Fire, fueled by dense timber and dry flashy fuels, tore through the Hualapai Mountains toward Mike’s home. As ember showers and spot fires erupted ahead of the fire front, which advanced to within 450 feet his property, thanks to a new service provided by State Farm®, his property was saved from wildfire.

On April 1, a complimentary Wildfire Response service was added to all non-tenant homeowners policies in Arizona at no cost to State Farm customers (this service was also added in California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington).

Wildfire Defense Systems, Inc., the largest wildfire protection service provider, has been providing firefighting services in 20 states and has monitored over 58,000 wildfires since 2013. 

During an active wildfire, if Wildfire Defense determines a home insured by State Farm is at risk, they will deploy a team that will take proactive counter-measures to protect a policyholder’s property.

This team will determine appropriate suppression and mitigation methods that may include:

• Installing temporary sprinkler systems
• Monitoring and extinguishing hotspots
• Removal of combustible materials from around the house (like pine needles, wood furniture, dry brush)
• Covering vents, and closing of doors and windows to keep sparks and embers out

“When we arrived on scene,” Wildfire Defense CEO David Torgerson said, “we noticed several fire risks on the property. A lot of vegetation and timber as well as combustible materials near the home.

“Windy conditions contributed to the spread of the fire and put the home in immediate danger. Our resources were able to suppress the flames and hotspots 25-50 feet from the home and we cold-trailed the property to ensure all residual heat was fully extinguished.”

“We are so grateful for this added benefit on our State Farm policy,” Mike Britt said. “I was gone with the fire department and they arrived on scene to make sure my home and property were protected.”

The Wildfire Defense service is not meant to replace existing wildfire preparation efforts. State Farm encourages customers to always be prepared for the possibility of a catastrophe. Customers living in wildfire- prone areas are encouraged to take appropriate steps to reduce the chance of fire damage, including creating defensible space and reducing flammable vegetation near structures.

Time to prepare is now

Recent wildfire statistics show that proactive mitigation efforts prior to a fire event are critical before evacuation warnings or orders are issued by authorities.

This is why, even with this new benefit in place, State Farm encourages residents to be proactive, to adopt mitigation measures for their properties, and to always be prepared for the possibility of an emergency or catastrophe.

As the weather becomes hot and dry, here are easy and inexpensive ways to create a defensible space around your property:

• Remove dead shrubs, dried grass, fallen branches and dried leaves within 5 feet (and as much as 100 feet) around your property.
• Keep your roof and gutters clear of debris, such as leaves or pine needles, and remove overhanging branches.
• Keep grass and weeds mowed.
• Fill five feet around the base of the structure(s) with fire resistant plants or materials, such as gravel.

In 2020, Labs @State Farm began partnering with Whisker Labs and offering Ting devices to eligible customers in Arizona, California and Texas. As a result, over 40,000 devices were provided to customers resulting in numerous success stories and, in many cases, fire loss prevention. Some of these preventive detections included sensing clear arcing signals isolated to a chandelier in a master bathroom, identifying a missing neutral connection in a sub-panel, and detecting arcing signals consistent with water interaction with an electrical system.

What you need to know

We are now ready to expand the offering of Ting to more State Farm customers. Through 2021 and 2022, State Farm will begin offering an additional 100,000 Ting devices to non-tenant homeowner policyholders in more states. We will begin marketing to qualified policyholders in Ohio on May 18 (additional states and dates are yet to be determined, while Ting continues to be available in Arizona, California and Texas).

Qualified customers who enroll will receive:

• Free Ting sensor with mobile app access
• Pay no annual service fees for three years (fees paid by State Farm)
• Receive $1,000 credit toward remediation of electrical fire hazards (provided by Whisker Labs) 

Eligible policyholders will receive a targeted marketing email from their State Farm agent when the opportunity is available to participate in the Ting program.

“State Farm is committed to fire safety and providing customers the newest fire safety technology. We’re excited about the expansion of the Ting sensor program. Now, even more homeowners can have the peace of mind that they’re doing everything possible to protect one of their most valuable assets,” says Chris Schell, Senior Vice President – Property & Casualty. ““We have found our customers love how simple it is to install and really appreciate the app keeping them informed.”

How does Ting Work?

Ting monitors the electrical network of a home using a smart plug-in sensor to help detect hazards, so they can be fixed before they have a chance to ignite a fire. The main precursors to electrical fires, micro-arcs and sparks that develop, happen in faulty wires, loose connections and faulty appliances or devices. These signs usually develop over weeks and months, so Ting is designed to provide you with advanced warnings to address these hazards prior to the hazard starting an electrical fire.^[1] Check out this video on how Ting works.

Ting may also help detect electrical faults in the utility grid that could damage your home and potentially trigger wildfires.

"The Whisker Labs Ting team is very proud to support State Farm Insurance in this important initiative. We are committed to helping protect State Farm customers by monitoring the electricity that we all rely on for virtually everything in our lives today," said Bob Marshall, Co-Founder & CEO of Whisker Labs. “It is incredibly gratifying each time Ting helps identify an electrical fault, mitigate the hazard and prevent a fire from developing."

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• Simple Insights Article
• Household Electrical Hazards
• Smart Home and Smart Grid: Whisker Labs Announces A Significant Milestone for Both

State Farm® is using technology to help homeowners better prepare and recover from the devastating impact of wildfires. These new tech tools - a sensor, an app, and your smartphone - places the power of preparation in the palm of consumers’ hands. Currently, 4.5 million U.S. homes are identified as being at high risk of wildfire. This makes the technology and wildfire preparation tools even more critical.

Ting

Ting is a plug-in device and smartphone app produced by Whisker Labs, a company specializing in fire safety using advanced technology to monitor electrical systems in the home and on the electrical utility grid.

The device is the size of a plug-in night light and can offer protection from electrical fires. Once plugged into a home electrical outlet, Ting is on the lookout for unique signals that are indicative of an electrical problem that could lead to a home fire. These signals can originate from loose connections, damaged wires or faulty devices and appliances, or from faults on the grid. If Ting detects anything unusual, it sends a notification to the customer’s mobile phone while also notifying the Whisker Labs’ monitoring center.

Electrical fires are responsible for originating 13% of all U.S. home fires, with an annual cost of $1.3 billion (National Fire Protection Association 2019 Survey). That’s an alarming statistic. While Ting can help detect electrical fire hazards in the home, it can also help detect wildfire ignition risks from the grid. The device can detect signals from malfunctions or fluctuations on the grid that indicate the risk of a fault or larger arcing event. A common example is electrical transformers that are typically installed outside the home to reduce the high-voltage supply from the grid into the low-voltage needed for a residence. When transformers work well, we don’t notice them. It’s a different story when they begin to experience issues and fail to operate correctly, or simply fail outright (Ting). These faults can cause safety issues, fire hazards, and damage to devices inside your home or produce sparks that could trigger a wildfire and potentially put other structures at risk.

Last summer, Whisker Labs helped launch a significant distribution program in partnership with State Farm. Eligible State Farm customers in Arizona, California, and Texas received Ting for free by simply enrolling online. In May, Whisker Labs announced 40,000 Ting devices had been distributed. Expansion to more customers in more states is planned in 2021.

IBHS Wildfire Ready App

Living in the era of apps, it is logical that the second new tool in a homeowners’ wildfire mitigation toolbox comes in app form. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is one of the leading sources in the science of catastrophes. Leveraging their latest research, the goal of their new Wildfire Ready Virtual app is to help homeowners prepare their homes for a wildfire. The app uses augmented reality so that once you point your smartphone at your home, you can “see” the weak points. It also walks you through specific do-it-yourself (DIY) projects, including remodeling tips to make your home more fire resistant.

State Farm participated in the development of this app that you can download and try for yourself anytime (download for Apple or Android phones). Motivated to do even more? Check these extra wildfire protection tips in the IBHS Wildfire Ready Guide.

Home inventory

Unfortunately, there will be instances where despite preparation efforts, a wildfire may destroy your home. Recovering from such a devastating event is difficult but technology can help. This is where the third tech tool, your smartphone, takes center stage. A home inventory can show visual proof of what was in your home before it was damaged or destroyed. To this effect, the storytelling capabilities of today’s smartphones are a great ally.

A simple way to do a home inventory is to walk through each room of your home, taking pictures and videos of everything in it. Don’t forget to also step outside and take images of the structure and everything around it.

Let me introduce you to Mary. In this video she tells us the story of losing her home to a wildfire in Santa Barbara. No one better than her and her agent, Irene, to give us a home inventory 101.

So switch on these tech tools and take your wildfire safety to a whole new level.

State Farm^® partnered with the Red Cross on a campaign to educate citizens across the United States on fire safety and install free smoke alarms. Along with local fire departments and other community partners, more than 100,000 smoke alarms were installed in homes across the country.

Ashleigh Brucker has always had a passion for public safety and education. While in college, she interned with the Champaign Fire Department as safety educator.

“I really love the parts of State Farm that are community driven, people driven and focused on making life go right, so when I saw this opportunity to volunteer I immediately signed up,” the State Farm employee in Bloomington, Ill., says.

During the event, volunteers were divided into small groups with one person focused on getting the household details, one person giving safety information and the others checking current smoke alarms or installing new alarms.

Ashleigh took charge of the education portion for her group. The education packets included a checklist about fire safety such as cooking safety and electrical safety, planning escape routes and how and when to check your smoke alarms to ensure they are working correctly.

“It was so awesome that people were willing to open their doors to us,” Ashleigh says. “We often don’t take time out of our busy lives to think about these things.”

Through 426 Sound the Alarm events, with at least one organized in each state, 43,008 homes were made safer with the help of 30,859 volunteers.

Sonja Campbell-Jones, a State Farm employee in Dunwoody, Ga., used the opportunity to network in her new community. “I consider myself a new Georgia resident, even though I’ve been here for five years. I saw this as a great way to get involved and give back to communities at risk,” she says.

Volunteers canvassed at-risk neighborhoods during their events and found many people to be open and appreciative of the services.

Shakema Green, who works for State Farm in Richardson, Texas, and her 16-year-old daughter, Micaiah, often volunteer together.

“I want her to see through volunteering how other families are in different situations,” Shakema says of bringing her daughter to volunteer events. “No one wants to be down and out; no one wants to be in need. If it was me, I’d want someone to help me or educate me. So, it’s me teaching her to not take for granted what you have and to not look down on others who don’t.”

Firefighter Dayna Hilton kneeled down so she could hear five-year-old Angelica’s story. With eyes as round as saucers, the little girl recalled waking up to thick smoke pouring into her bedroom from a fire that was quickly engulfing her home. Angelica pushed the covers off and dropped to the floor, crawling low – just like Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog taught her at school.

As she wiggled across the floor, the five-year-old ran right into her father’s legs. The man was stumbling through the house, disoriented by the smoke and dangerous fumes. Five-year-old Angelica did not panic. She urged her father to get down on the floor with her and to crawl like Sparkles. Together, side by side, they safely escaped…

Helping those who need it most

Angelica learned fire safety training from a woman named Dayna Hilton, a second generation firefighter and certified Public Life Safety Educator. Hilton is the Executive Director of the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation (KKFSF). She and her team of Dalmatian dogs (Molly, Tango and Sparkles) are recognized around the world as leading fire safety educators.

“Our message has been shared with more than one million children,” said Hilton. “For 15 years we’ve used innovative teaching and technology to share our safety message – and now, that includes Skype and social networking.”

Ten years ago, more than 50% of all child fire deaths occurred to those aged four and younger (usfa.fema.gov).

This tragic statistic distressed Hilton and inspired her to establish KKFSF, a non-profit dedicated to teaching fire safety to children. What makes the foundation distinctive is the use of Dalmatian dogs to help deliver fire safety messages to students.

“From the beginning, my primary goal was to reduce fire deaths and injuries among those most at risk -- children,” Hilton said. “Children are attracted to dogs, and using Sparkles, Tango, and Molly as part of our presentation helps them remember what they have learned.”

Hilton calls this attraction, “the power of the paw.” In other words, the dogs’ furry, friendly demeanor keeps children engaged, which in turn, helps them absorb the information they’ve been given.

Innovative Fire Safety Programming

Molly the Fire Safety Dog’s Skype program, Learning about Fire Safety is Fun enables children to learn basic fire safety knowledge. The interactive 30-minute program is free to schools and other organizations throughout the world thanks to a grant from State Farm. The program features the Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog activity book, a safety demonstration by one of the Fire Safety Dogs that teaches skills such as crawling low under smoke, and other activities to engage the students.

According to Hilton, if you were to add the virtual miles the Fire Safety Dogs have traveled, it would equal the distance to the moon and back.

Lives Impacted Forever

Thanks to the fire safety training from Firefighter Dayna and Sparkles, Angelica is now a teenager. When fire broke out at her home on that fateful night…she and her family made it out just in time.

Firefighters on scene reported as soon as the two were whisked away to safety, the home “flashed over” – a term used to describe a home totally engulfed in flames.

These success stories continue to drive Hilton forward. To date, she is aware of eight children and four adults whose lives have been saved because of the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation efforts.

“Our vision is to make the world a safer place, one fire safety presentation at a time,” Hilton says.

And that is worth it all.

Skype with Molly for free!

Thanks to a grant from State Farm, schools and organizations can Skype with Firefighter Dayna and Molly the Fire Safety Dog at no cost. To learn more about this exciting opportunity, click HERE.

To learn more about the work of Molly the Fire Safety Dog and the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation, click HERE. Participating schools and organizations receive links to a free, downloadable copy of the Molly’s Fire Safety Skype Program Coloring eBook and bonus materials.

Eleven days later, the house burnt down when a candle caught a box of clothing on fire. Luckily, the smoke alarm sounded in one of the bedrooms. The entire family escaped to safety thanks to their gift from the Red Cross and State Farm.

Home Fire Preparedness Arms Families

The American Red Cross Home Fire Preparedness Campaign rolled out across the country in October, 2014. The goal? To reduce the number of deaths and injuries from home fires by as much as 25 percent over the next five years by installing smoke alarms for families who need them.

Across the country, the Red Cross, along with local fire departments and community groups, are canvassing neighborhoods and teaching people about fire safety.